Last Time Korea Environment, settlement

Today East Asia- continued Korea-continued Taiwan Environment, settlement, history, & economy South Asia Geophysical Environmental regions Climate — key to life in S Asia

Korea Cultural historical factors Independence Yet conquest & domination Economy S. Korean economic “miracle” Unification issues

Taiwan (Formosa) Physical geography Tropical/sub-tropical climate: Warm and wet Hilly (tectonic) landscape Settlement and population History and culture Economics

Taiwan (Formosa) Settlement and population 1/4 size of NC but with > 20 m pop High physiological density History and culture Chinese occupation from 1600s Japanese occupation Current “Nationalist” government Economics Another Asian “tiger” Unification issues

(with world’s tallest skyscraper) Taipei at night (with world’s tallest skyscraper)

South Asia Environments Tectonic forces Indian plate collision with Eurasian plate => severe earthquake hazard Oct. 2005 Pakistan Earthquake Mountain barriers to the N and W Himalayas

Oct.. 2005 7.6 quake

South Asia Environments II Deserts West of Indus R. valley Thar or Great Indian

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South Asia Environments III Great River valleys Ganges Indus Brahmaputra Indian (or Deccan) plateau and the Ghats

Indus Ganges Brahmaputra

South Asia Environments IV Indian (or Deccan) plateau and the Ghats

Deccan Plateau W. Ghats E. Ghats

W Ghats

Climate Climatic regions Dry and semi-arid in W Rainfall variable with elevation, aspect, and location Hot tropical and semi-tropical Seasonal progression of temperatures The “monsoon” is the summer rainfall regime in most of S Asia and SE Asia A system of alternating-direction winds

Calicut in the W Ghats